Rotatable bottleneck cleaning device



Aug. 5, 1952 I BANKS 2,605,489

ROTATABLE BOTTLENECK CLEANING DEVICE,

Filed Dec. 26, 1947 /4' Z6 Z9 El Patented Aug. 1952 ROTATABLE BOTTLENECAK CLEANING DEVICE' James F. Banks, Alexandria, Va. Application December 26, 1947, serial Nb. 793,957

This invention relates to bottle cleaners, and more particularly toan'improved brush for cleaning the neck of the bottles. It is 'an object of this invention to provide an improved bottle neck and bead cleaner of the kind to be more particularly described hereinafter; having opposed brushes carried by a rotat-- ing supporting member in such a manner that theincrease of force on the bottle axially of the brush supporting member will increase the frictional engagement of the brush against the nec of the bottle. I 1 Another object of this invention is to provide andmpro'ved bottle brush of this kind, having rockably -supported opposed brushes carried by a bru'sh'supporting member and a sliding sleeve engaging the brush supporting parts in such a manner that movement of the sleeve will elfect rocking of the'brushes relative to the neck of the bottle w r v A further object of this invention is to provide an improved bottle neck cleaning brush having stiff, or preferably wire, bristles for scraping the rust fromthe' neck and bead of the bottle, and having means for selectively varying the frictional contact of the brush with the bottle. i

With the aboveand other objects in vie'w,=my invention consists in-the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Referring to the drawing- Figure 1 is a top plan view of 'a bottle cleaning brush constructed according to an embodiment of this invention, I

H Figures is a vertical sectio 'taken on the'line 2-'-2 of .Figure 1, Figure 3 is-aside elevation iof brush and its support; removed from the assembly.

Referring to the drawing,'the numeral l0 designates generally a brush for cleaning the neck and'bead of bottles or the like. The brush i0 is primarily designed for attachment to a power member II which may be a part of a conventional bottle washing machine, or may be an independent source of power.

In the use of bottles designated by the numeral l2, having metal caps engaging over a bead as M at the end of the neck, the extended use of such caps results in a deposit of rust about the bead. With conventional bottle washing devices the rust adheres closely to the bead so that it is not removed, and special, extra efforts must be used to remove this rust. The brush of this invention is formed with wire bristles designated 2 Claims; (01. -164) by the numeral I 5, to brush and scrape the rust from-the beads.

The bottle neck washing'brush I0 is formed of an elongated rod or' shaft [6 threaded at one end as I! for attachment to the power member H, -'-The member I6 is fixed to the member ll 'insuch a'manner that the rotation of the power member II will efiect the rotation of IE, carrying the brushes.

--The shaft I6 is formed at its lower end with a reduced diameter section l8, providing shoulders l9 and 20 at the extreme ends of a recess 21 formed between the diameter of the shaftlB and the reduced section Is. A sleeve 22' is slidthe shaft ably and rotatably supported onthis lower end isdriven by the-power'member Ii. 7

A--bearingsleeve or washer is rotatably supported on the shaft l6 above the sleeve-22' for reasons describedhereinafter The lower end of :thefsleeve 22 is closed by a wall 26, having a central opening 21 therein. Areduced diameter stud or lug 28 is carried by the lower end wall 26 of the sleeve 22 and extends downwardly from the shaft [6, concentric thereto. The opening 21 is continued downward from the end wall 26 through the stud 2B.

A rubber ring 29 of a substantially frustroconical formation is fixedl carried by the stud 28. The lower'end of the sleeve 22 and the rubber seal 29 are adapted to be engaged within the end' of the neck of a bottle [2 in the use of the cleaning device I 0.

A pair of levers 30 and 3| of substantially L- shape formation are rockably carried by the shaft I 6 on the opposite sides thereof. The levers 30 and 3| are formed with a substantially horizontal arm as 32 which extends radiallyout from the shaft [6 and an arm 34 which extends from the outer end of the arms 32 substantially parallel to the axis of the shaft l6 and at right angles to the arms 32.

A socket as 35 is formed on the lower end of the arms 34 for supporting therein the bristles 15 of the brush carried by the levers 30 and 3|. The sockets 35 open inwardly relative to the shaft [6 in a substantially confronting relation on 0pposite sides of the axis of the rod Hi. The free 3 end of the arms 32 of the levers 30 and 3| are disposed closely adjacent the surface of the shaft [6 above the sleeve 22.

The bearing 25, loose on the shaft I6, is adapted to engage the terminal ends of the arms 32 for rocking the levers about their pivot point. The evers 30 and 31 are rockably supported on opposite sides of the shaft It by pivot pins 36, A sleeve as. 31 is fixed on the shaft 16 above the sleeve 22 thereon. A pair of outwardly and down- Wardly extending radially disposed arms as 38 are fixedly carried by the sleeve 31 on opposite sides of the shaft I6. The arms 38 are bifurcated for receiving therebetween the arm 32 of' the levers- 30 and 3|. The pivot pin 36 is fixed between each of the arms 38 engaging throughthearm 32 Thecentrifugal force of the levers on the rotatingshaft causes the arms 34 to rock outwardly on the pivots 36' on the inner end-of the levers and presses the sleeve 22 downwardly relative tothe shaft 16, permitting the bearing 25 to be dropped downwardly from the arms 32, thereby permitting the rocking movement of the levers about the-pivots 36 for disposing the brushes in'outwardlyj disposedrelation to each other.

7 The bead 1 4 of a bottle may be readily cleaned with this device by pressing theneck of the bottle upwardly onto the rubber pad 29 which is disposed then within the neck and will engage the upper edge thereof. Further movement of the bottle along the axis of the shaft l 6.will then slide the sleeve 22 upwardly and the bearing will engage the inner endsof the arms 32 for rockingthe levers 3G and 3| about the pivots 36-for rockingv the-brushes and bristles l5 inwardly for engagement ofthe bristleswith the outer surface of the beads l4 andneck of the bottle l2. the shaft I5 is continually rotated during this. operation, thev opposed confronting brushes will be, rotated about the neck of the bottle for,

removingthe rust and other dirt therefrom. I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all, variations falling within the-purview of the appended claims.

WhatI'cl-aim is: v r v 1.7 An improved) bottle neck] cleaning device comprising an elongated cylindrical supporting rod, said rod formed with an annular reduced diameter. portion as a recessdisposed adjacent one end. thereof, a sleeve rotatably and slidably mountedlover saidrone end, a pincarriedby said sleeve engaging. said reduced l diameter portion for limiting the sliding of said sleeve on saidfrod,

'an annular bearing carried by the top end of said sleeve, a pair of radially disposed substantially right angular rock levers, each of said levers including an arm disposed radially of said rod and an arm substantially parallel to said rod, means on said rod pivotally supporting said levers intermediate the lengths of their radial arms adjacent said one end of said rod confronting brushes on the free ends of said/f parallel arms, said bearing engageable with the fre'eends of said radial arms in certain positions thereof along the length of said rod, and a truncated bottle engaging member of the lower end of said sleeve engageable within the neck of a bottle, whereby said brushes will be pressed into engagement with the outer surf-ace of the neck of the bottle upon sliding of said sleeve on said rod.

2. An improved bottle neck cleaning device comprising an elongated cylindrical supporting rod having a reduced diameter portion adjacent one endthereof to provide an annular recess, a sleeve slidablyi and rotatablymounted over said one end of said rod, a pin extending through the sidewall of said sleeveIand engaging within said recess for limiting thesliding of said sleeve rela tive: to said rod, an annular bearing member on the upper end of said sleeve and disposed about. said rod, a tapered lug extending from the other end of said sleeve, a resilient cushion member disposed about said lug and engageable within the neck of a: bottle, a second sleeve fixed on said rod intermediate the length thereof, diametrically opposed radially extending slotted arms formed on saidsecond sleeve, a'substantially right angular rock lever pivotally mounted intermedi-- atethelength ofone leg thereof on each of said slotted arms, the other legs of said rock levers terminating, adjacent ;tosaid resilient cushion member, the inner'ends of said one leg of said rock levers being adapted to engage said; bearing member to be rocked upwardly upon sliding .of said one endof saidrod inwardly with respect to said first mentioned sleeve, andinwardly directed brushes carried by said other legs at the free ends, thereof. for cleaning engagement with the neck of a bottle, when said rock levers are rocked upwa-rdly, H V

1 JAMES F. BANKS;

REFERENCES CITED I The following references are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Wagner Feb: 13,1917 

